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RESOLUTION NO. R-1314-44: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AMENDING THE NORMAN 2025 LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION PLAN SO AS TO PLACE LOTS 3, 4, AND 5, BLOCK 1, UNIVERSITY PLAZA ADDITION AND THE AREA FORMERLY KNOWN AS BOYD VIEW PARK, NORMAN, CLEVELAND COUNTY, OKLAHOMA, IN THE HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DESIGNATION AND REMOVE THE SAME FROM THE PARKLAND DESIGNATION AND THE COMMERCIAL DESIGNATION. (NEAR THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF LINDSEY STREET AND CLASSEN BOULEVARD)
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SUMMARY OF REQUEST: The applicant has submitted a request to rezone an undeveloped tract of land from C-2, General Commercial District, RM-6, Medium Density Apartment District, and A-2, Rural Agricultural District to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) for a student based housing project. The land under review was set aside on the Norman 2025 Land Use and Transportation Plan as High Density Residential, Commercial and Parkland; this proposal will designate the entire property as High Density Residential.
The 2025 Plan identifies two criteria that must be examined before a land use change is approved.
1. There has been a change in circumstances resulting from development of properties in the general vicinity which suggest that the proposed change will not be contrary to the public interest.
In recent years there have been several multi-family/student housing developments in the vicinity of this proposed development.
To the east of this property, located at the southwest corner of Lindsey Street and 12th Avenue SE, is East Village, a Planned Unit Development. This development consists of commercial, office and both single family and multi-family residential components. There are three four-story buildings located on the east side of the development that house the multi-family units and commercial uses. There are roughly ninety apartment units in this development, approximately thirty units per building on almost 2.75 acres. There are forty-three single family lots on the west side of the development, behind/to the west of the commercial component.
To the south of this proposed multi-family development, along the west side of Classen Boulevard is another multi-family development, The Edge. The Edge multi-family site has approximately one hundred ninety-eight units, fourteen three-story buildings on roughly twelve acres.
To the west of this planned development, on the southeast corner of Lindsey Street and Jenkins Avenue is a new student housing facility. The student housing facility is a University dormitory development. The facility is a five-story building with some retail on the ground floor.
2. There is a determination that the proposed change would not result in adverse land use or adverse traffic impacts to surrounding properties or the vicinity. The University of Oklahoma is located about three-quarters of a mile to the west of this proposal. There is a busy commercial corner roughly one-half mile to the east; there is commercial on three of those four corners. This development is being proposed as a centrally located site to the University and commercial uses in the vicinity. The ease of access to the University as well as commercial to the east makes this a good site for walking and biking to work, school and amenities. There are three access points for this development, helping to eliminate the possible traffic congestion points. With three access points along existing arterial streets designated on the 2025 Land Use and Transportation Plan, there are options for ingress and egress.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: This area in Norman has changed over the last few years with higher intensity zoning uses, creating an acceptable area for additional multi-family development. Staff recommends approval of Resolution No. R-1314-44.
At their meeting of October 10, 2013, the Planning Commission recommended adoption of this resolution by a vote of 5-1.